Who Was the Richest Person in the World in 2017
In 2017, the richest person in the world was Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, with an estimated net worth of about 86 billion dollars according to Forbes annual rankings. He held the top position for the third consecutive year, ahead of other billionaires such as Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos.
The ranking was based on publicly available data about stock holdings, private company valuations, and cash assets, compiled by Forbes and other financial trackers. Gates' wealth was closely tied to his remaining stake in Microsoft and a large investment portfolio managed through Cascade Investment.
Bill Gates' Main Sources of Wealth
Microsoft and Early Investments
Gates built his fortune primarily through Microsoft, the software company he co-founded in 1975 with Paul Allen. Although he stepped down as chairman in 2014, he retained a significant shareholding and continued to receive dividends and capital gains from the company's growth.
Outside Microsoft, Gates controlled a diversified investment portfolio through Cascade Investment, which held stakes in companies across energy, real estate, and technology. He also owned a large stake in Canadian National Railway and had investments in several publicly traded firms.
How the 2017 Richest Person Compared to Other Billionaires
Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List
Forbes tracked the net worth of the world's richest individuals using stock prices, SEC filings, and interviews, updating figures daily on its real-time billionaires page. In 2017, Gates' lead narrowed as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos rose in the rankings due to strong growth in Amazon's share price.
Other top contenders in 2017 included Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway and Amancio Ortega of Inditex, the parent company of Zara. While Gates maintained the top spot for the year, the gap between him and other billionaires highlighted how quickly tech-driven wealth could shift based on market movements.
Forbes Billionaires List provided the primary public ranking used for the 2017 data.